Music holder for guitars



Feb. 6, 1951 L. E. BRIGGS MUSIC HOLDER FOR GUITARS Filed April 20, 1949Fig. 2.

Lyle E. Briggs IN VEN TOR.

- BY W405i (mf away 15 M5 Patented Feb. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE MUSIC HOLDER FOR GUITARS Lyle E. Briggs, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application April 20, 1949, Serial No. 88,573

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to a novel and improved sheet musicholding rack which is especially adapted to be used on and in connectionwith present day, modern-styled guitars, primarily Hawaiian and Spanishtypes.

I am not unmindful that the art to which the invention relates disclosesprior patents covering varying types of music racks. Also, I am awarethat many and varied forms of lyres are used in connection with windmusical instruments, both reed and brass. In the field under advisement,the old fashioned guitars, now gradually being replaced, have a largesound hole in the top, underneath the strings and between the bridge andinner end of the fretted fingerboard. It has been the practice toprovide clamps to attach to the top and to anchor in part within theconfines of the sound hole. Now that sound holes are no longer provided,especially in the electric Hawaiian guitar and electrified Spanishamplifier types, there is a crying need for a diilerent and practicalsheet music holding rack. The present invention, therefore, has to dowith the provision of a simple, practical and effective music rack.

In carrying out the principles of the invention, I provide a reach arm,which is of bendable metal to permit it to take an angular location asrequired, the same having a clamp at one end which connects with thetuning head at the outer end of the neck of the instrument and theopposite end carrying a simple ledge equipped rack.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of a guitarand showing the music rack, constructed in accordance with thisinvention, in use on the tuning head at the left hand end of the neck.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section on the line 22of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective View of the rack per se.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the details. l

Referring now to the drawingsby distinguishing reference characters, thebody of the guitar is denoted by thereference character A, the neckisindicated at B and the so-called tuning head at the left hand endthereof is denoted at C.

This is provided with the usual tuning pegs D to accommodate the stringsE extending over the frets on the finger-board F. It is to the part Cthat the clamping means of the improved attachment is connectable.

The invention comprises a reach arm 5 of appropriate length. This ispreferably of bendable malleable stock so that it may be optionally bentto -a slightly different curvature than that shown. The depending endportion 5 connects with the angular rack l by way of a lug 8 and thumbnut 9, as shown in Figure 3. The ledge is of customary form and servesto support the sheet music (not shown) and carries upstanding backingfingers It. The opposite curved end of the rod is provided with a returnbend H which is flattened and formed into an adapter jaw as at [2. Thisjaw carries a set-screw [3 which set screw bears against an end portionof a second clamping jaw M. The jaw I4 is provided with ears i5 andthese coact with the ears 16, the respective ears being pinned andpivotally connected together, as at ll.

The jaws are hingedly connected together and disposed in properparallelism that they may be conveniently placed and held in position onthe tuning peg head C.

In practice, the clamp is attached to the head C which latter partprovides a convenient foundational base for the clamping means. The armreaches out to an out-of-the-way position and suspends the rack at apoint most convenient for a safe and reliable music reading purpose. Thearm may be bent up or down in relation to the finger board and, inaddition the rack may be adjusted by way of the thumb nut.

I desire to stress the fact that the invention is susceptible ofpractical use with virtually all guitars and desire to mention againthat reference patents with which I am familiar appear to be obsoletedue to the fact that they require the presence of the now outmoded soundhole in the top wall of the instrument body to provide for mounting of amusic rack. Most modern guitars, including electric Hawaiian, have nosound hole whatsoever. This holder is readily adaptable to the Spanishtype guitar by merely twisting the elbow portion of the reach arm or rodinto a more upright position. That is to say, the Hawaiian guitar isplayed with the instrument lying on its bottom on the p-erformers lap,whereas the Spanish guitar is usually held with the bottom of theinstrument substantially fiat against ones abdomen.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction withthe invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable the reader toobtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features ofmerit and novelty sufficient to clarify the construction of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts maybe resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is madefromthe invention as claimed.

I claim:

A structure of the class described comprising a bendable reach rodproviding an arm, a ledge forming rack, backing fingers carried by saidrack, a lug on said rack, and a separable hi connection between saidledge and an adjacent end of said arm, the opposite end of said armbeing fashioned into a return bend and said return bend terminating in awidened extension providing a relatively fixed jaw, a second relativelymovable jaw beneath said first named jaw,

, ears on said jaws hingedly connecting same together, and a set screwcarried by the first named. jaw and engageable with an adjacent endportion of the second named jaw to render the latter effective.

LYLE E. BRIGGS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

